dreaming of paris

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Success at last!

It has been a long time since I have even looked at my dollhouse. I have had such problems with the electrics for the sconce on the left side and after struggling with solder and new bulbs X 100, I finally decided to strip the whole wire and low and behold, there was a problem half way down. Anyhow, the wiring is done and now it I can move on up to the last floor. I have had the lights on in the little house for hours this weekend and just basked in the glow. It is such a cozy little room and I think my enthusiasm for the project has been reignited. So after a few minor details to finish up, it is onward and upward with one floor to go!

I also bought... wait for it....a long cased clock, well all but the clock bit. It came through the auction and all I could see was a grand room under the glass bonnet and rooms in the case. That will all have to wait for my retirement I suspect. My husband also thinks he can remove the panel at the bottom for another room box. Neat hey?

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Working on the dollhouse parlour today and all is not well. I am having problems with the electrics. The two small sconces are now wired but won't work on the same power bar and even with two power bars and the sconces being the only thing on the power bars, the bulbs are very, very dim. I have a short somewhere?? I can't figure it out. Each sconce will dimly work individually but not together. Super frustrating.
This little house is going to be the death of me!

I made a little sliding door in the fireplace opening so I could get at the electrics if needed, or that was the plan... I had to pull the whole wall away and that is how it is sitting at the minute. I need to figure this all out.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the parlour. I haven't decided what to do for an overmantle yet, and the crown molding is cut and painting waiting for the problems to get sorted and then the ceiling/ floor can go up.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Hope everyone had a lovely peaceful and healthy Christmas. Ours was a bit of a challenge this year as we are now too many to fit comfortably in our smaller accommodations.

It has been a loooong time since my last post. My husband put all my dollhouse activities on hold while he created me a work space in the basement of our new much smaller home. Workshop construction was nearly as slow as dollhouse construction.

I now have lots of lots of cabinetry to house dolls, collectible and miniature, plus tons of bright lighting and a fireplace to keep my feet warm as I work. It really is a nice room to work in. Unfortunately I am having problems getting my ipad to email pictures to share and can't seem to sign into my own flickr account. Let's just say, I need a child to get me sorted out.

So I decided to share a tiny little quarter scale German Christmas market kit I did a few days ago. I was having mini withdrawals and ordered this darling kit from Cynthia Howe Miniatures. I found a tiny little bell cloche that fits it perfectly. Hopefully now my space is sorted, I can get some help with the computery things and start posting again. Fingers crossed my little French dollhouse will be completed in the coming calendar year.

Monday, May 23, 2016

I know I haven't posted on my blog for quite a few month. Work and sheer laziness have been my downfall. I want so desperately to play in my completed little French house and I can't do that if I don't finish. So thanks to a long rainy weekend I did manage to spend some time on construction. You would be shocked to hear how many hours were spent just to get this far and yes, I did have to do it twice as per my usual MO.

If my work space seems a bit messy, note I cleared the table before starting this wall and this is just how I work it seems. FYI I am terrible, shockingly terrible at cutting casings. I will persevere.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

I did manage a little progress on my little French dollhouse this weekend. I received the brick work kit from The Little Dollhouse Company so I was able to get the brick wall for the bathroom completed.

I am quite happy with the way it turned out and it was super easy to do.

I was also able to finish the parquet flooring for the main room. I stained and waxed it in situ and need to do a major clean up of my work area before starting on the living room wall. Fingers crossed I have all I need to complete the living room.

Small shot of the middle floor sans finished living room before the roof goes on.

I also wanted to share with you my new Marina Bychkova resin Enchanted Doll. She is still with her faceup artist Mai (Belle Nolia) as she hasn't had her body blushing and finger and toe nails done yet. I am quite excited to have her come home soon.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

It is 11 pm and my fingers are now numb so dollhouse flooring will continue in the morning. I have been working on this all day and hand cutting each and every tiny piece. I did however make one major mistake ( I know, I am just as surprised as you are!).

When resizing the template for the each floor tile, I sized the tile with the outer frame to 8cm X 8cm. The template size was right but it was only suppose to be in the inside tile sans frame. So as a result each tile is 1cm smaller than it is suppose to be.

I have bought enough wood planking to do a full sized house so I could have restarted but I was already many, many hours in when the penny dropped I and decided to continue as is. The pattern will be slightly smaller, so a little more delicate and I can live with that.

I wanted to also share with you the news that beloved miniature artist Jane Newman recently passed. I don't have any details and found out via a posting on facebook from Kensington Miniature Enthusiasts and borrowed the above picture from their post also.

I am a collector and lover of all things Jane Newman since I started back into miniature in earnest a few years ago. I have been fortunate to have been able to acquire quite a few pieces including Welsh dressers, tables, chairs, washstands, a tiny bed and bedroom pieces. I cherish them all. Jane's work was pure perfection and her scale was spot on. The miniature world has lost a huge star.

Okay it is past midnight and my numb fingers and mushy brain can't type or think anymore. Everyone have a grand week!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

This is the completed hallway. I have been using little brass grommets to make it easier to align the staircase railing. I like the way it looks and lines up. I haven't found any of my dollhouse furniture and accessories so it is rather uninteresting at the minute.

Unfortunately I spent a good hour or so opening boxes to find my plaster brick making kit that was bought to do the bathroom wall. When it was finally located I realized that I had ordered the slate tile plaster kit not the brick kit. So back to the internet to place another order with The Little Dollhouse Company and now we wait....

I haven't shabbied up the walls of the bathroom yet, but wanted to show of my handmade bead board using cardboard and a utility knife. I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.

I have applied one coat of wax to the floor, but it needs more and then a good old hand polish. Oh, and I put together my little Chrysnbon bathroom kit which is so sweet and perfectly proportioned in my humble opinion.

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About Me

45 year-old mother of four, step-mother to two. Grandmother of five, Owner of two increasingly finicky felines and one very bad beagle. Partnered with one very long suffering but infinitely patient husband.